Monday, July 14, 2014

From the Greek Archdiocesan "Discovering Orthodox Christianity" series, Abp. Demetrios speaks on Psalm 8. You can see that the seminary professor in him is still alive and well. In my own seminary not a class went by that we were not entreated to read and study the Psalms; it was a panacea for spiritual illness, theological instruction, and times of difficulty. That petition was it however and we were left to find our own books to study with. I'm quite fond of these titles, but welcome any other recommendations.

"Commentary on the Psalms of David," (1950), Apostolos Makrakis

"Praying the Psalms in the Byzantine Church," (2011), Jack Custer

“The Psalterion According to the Seventy,” (2010), Holy Apostles Convent

"Treatise on the Inscriptions of the Psalms," St. Gregory of Nyssa

I've added the translations below the video for reference. The Greek is not there just to be pedantic, but because Abp. Demetrios is quite liberal in his use of Greek whenever he teaches or when he delivers homilies.

1 [For the end, concerning the wine-presses, a Psalm of David.] O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is thy name in all the earth! for thy magnificence is exalted above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, because of thine enemies; that thou mightest put down the enemy and avenger.
3 For I will regard the heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and stars, which thou hast established.
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 Thou madest him a little less than angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour;
6 and thou hast set him over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 sheep and all oxen, yea and the cattle of the field;
8 the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, the [creatures] passing through the paths of the sea.
9 O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is thy name in all the earth!

The below is a huge blow to the idea of a united, canonical Orthodox Church in America. When ROCOR declared that they didn't want to be ...

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."